U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said USA authorities had expanded their Federation Internationale de Football Association probe with Swiss authorities and expect more arrests on the basis of “new evidence”.
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“Based upon new evidence, we anticipate pursuing additional charges against individuals and entities”, Lynch told a news conference in Switzerland Monday.
Lynch spoke alongside her Swiss counterpart, Michael Lauber, whose separate investigation of money laundering appears equally threatening to Federation Internationale de Football Association and its soon-departing president.
Lauber stated that financial assets, including flats in the Alps, had been seized and 121 bank accounts are under investigation.
“Investment in real estate can be used for the objective of money laundering”, said Lauber, whose case seems to be widening beyond its original focus of FIFA’s criminal complaint about the 2018-2022 World Cup bidding contests.
Asked if Blatter was a target of the USA investigation, Lynch said she would not comment on “which individuals will or will not be the subject of the next series of charges” the United States authorities would bring.
FIFA’s president for almost two decades, Sepp Blatter, won re-election just two days after the indictment was unveiled in May.
But he confirmed that 11 terabytes of data had been seized so far in the Swiss investigation: “Let me assure you we are well aware of public’s interest in this investigation”. He is fighting extradition to the US from his native Trinidad.
Swiss broadcaster SRF reported Friday that it obtained a contract Blatter signed awarding TV rights for South Africa and Brazil for the 2010 and 2014 World Cup competitions to businessman Jack Warner for a total of $600,000.
“The scope of our investigation is not limited, and we are following the evidence where it leads”, said Lynch.
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FIFA’s 209 member federations will elect Blatter’s successor on February 26 in Zurich.
